Biden Team ‘Astounded’ By Number Of Feds Targeted By Spyware

Biden administration officials expressed shock as they revealed dozens of U.S. government employees are believed to have been targeted by commercial spyware.

At least 50 national employees’ mobile phones, some of whom held senior positions, have been confirmed or suspected of being the targets of hacking attacks in ten different foreign nations across several continents, according to government officials.

One senior official said,” We were shocked by the number ,” according to a Monday report from The Washington Post. The number, which is higher than previously known officially, might increase as more research into the risk is done.

In addition to the publication, President Joe Biden unveiled an executive order that aims to establish regulations restricting the” operational use” of industrial spyware by governmental agencies, which the White House claimed is a threat to national security or has been used by foreign actors to support human rights violations.

Governments from all over the world, including the US, have bought financial spyware from vendors that allows users to access digital devices and covertly gather their data. According to The New York Times, the Drug Enforcement Administration uses a spyware program called Graphite that was developed by the Jewish company Paragon.

NSO Group, another Israeli business, was placed on a blacklist by the federal government in 2021 due to allegations of ransomware abuse. Pegasus, a cellular phone hacking product allegedly used to track journalists, activists, and politicians, was created by the company. According to The Washington Post’s report from December 2021, Apple informed 11 U.S. Embassy workers in Uganda that Pegasus malware had hacked their apps.

In January, an NSO Group professional informed The Wall Street Journal that the company had severed ties with 10 clients for allegedly abusing its technology, which it claimed” is basically licensed, as a valid solution, to government intelligence and law-enforcement companies for the sole purpose of preventing and investigating terror and dangerous crime.”

Last year, FBI Director Wray testified before Congress that the agency had bought Pegasus a licence for evaluation but insisted that” the FBI has not and did not use the NSO items technically in any analysis.”

In a fact sheet released on Monday, the White House stated that Biden’s latest order directs” important different reporting and information-sharing requirements within the Executive Branch” and” material that steps that professional spyware vendors can take to reduce identified risks, such as canceling relevant licensing agreements or contracts that present such risks.”

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Matthew Duss, a visiting professor at the Carnegie Endowment’s American Statecraft system and previous Sen. Bernie Sanders'( I-Vt) foreign policy adviser, claimed that while the Biden administration has failed to uphold human rights obligations, they should be commended for their efforts to combat spyware and other forms of repression. This is very powerful and appreciated.

The further” Summit for Democracy ,” which Biden is anticipated to co-host this week with officials of other nations, comes before the purchase. Biden’s order, according to the White House, did” function as a foundation to enhance international cooperation to advertise responsible use of surveillance technology, counter its proliferation and misuse, and drive industry reform.”